Hawkes Bay
Dating back to 1851 when the first vineyards were planted, Hawkes Bay is New Zealand’s oldest wine region and today, it’s the second largest spanning 1.4 million hectares of vineyard. With a diverse range of soils, altitudes, sub-regions and micro-climates, Hawkes Bay is host to a spectrum of grape varieties and wine styles, the most famous of which being the Bordeaux blends which top production levels and are most notably produced in Gimblett Gravels, an area famed for its free draining, gravel soils, ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon and home to the 100 point scoring Ngakirikiri Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 from Villa Maria. With a maritime climate dominated by influences from the Pacific Ocean, Hawkes Bay experiences long Sunshine hours with temperatures moderated by the ocean breezes, allowing grapes to reach a high level of ripeness but preserve freshness and acidity allowing grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc to also thrive here. Another producer of note is Vidal, a long time favourite of ours who produce several award winning wines including the Legacy Chardonnay 2015, award the Platinum medal by Decanter Magazine as their Best New Zealand Chardonnay.
International Wine Challenge: Gold 2017